Something In the Water
by BookProf101
Summary: When Juvia goes on a job with Gray, she meets the ocean. She meets Ur.


**Hello, fanfictioners! This is my first Gruvia fanfic and is truly a labor of love. I may make this a collection but for now, assume it will stay as a oneshot.**

**-BookProf101**

**Dislcaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. The wonderful Hiro Mashima does.**

Juvia's boots crunched on the half-frozen sand. The enemy, purple robes flaring in the winter wind, launched himself at Juvia, stopped just in time by a wall of ice. Gray looked over his shoulder at her. "We've got to wrap this up quickly before the weather gets any worse." Juvia steeled her gaze, nodded, and turned her fists to boiling hot water. This mission with Gray was harder than they'd expected.

He'd approached her in the guild hall when she wasn't looking, a job clenched in his hands. It was for 60,000 Jewel in the town of Caramilla. It was supposed to be a one day mission, he'd said. The job was to sort out the river problems in the area and Team Natsu was off on separate jobs, Lucy and Natsu to find more rent money, Erza and Wendy on a job in Clover. Juvia had agreed with hearts in her eyes. A job with Gray-sama! They'd taken the train and quickly solved the river problem. A man in a boat nearby, however, recognized Juvia from her Phantom Lord days and attacked. She'd blocked with a warning jet of hot water before turning it ice cold. That man wasn't going to let her leave. Gray had been at her side in an instant. The battle ranged all over the small town, leading right up to the beach. It was a frozen wasteland that time of year; icy waves crashed on the stone-hard sand. It was tiring and Juvia's clothes were torn and dirty. She shivered slightly; the cold weather was making her attacks harder to control as they expanded. Gray's bare chest was bruised, though the cold didn't seem to be bothering him. It acted as a boost to his already insane power.

Juvia's attacker launched himself one more time, taking her off guard. She desperately tried to activate Water Body but fell into the arctic waves. She struggled for breath in biting wind and clawed the air to get out of the water. It felt so cold as Juvia was dragged under. Water Body finally activated and the ocean flooded her senses.

The ocean was enormous. Vast. All mighty. Angry. Calm. Deadly. Sinking deeper, Juvia felt her body getting separated in her water form. She fought to regain a solid form but the salt contaminated her magic. Somewhere on the surface Gray stared into the ocean, searching for his partner while maintaining a battle. She had to get back to his side, but resisting the ocean was futile. A choking feeling squeezed Juvia's mind; how ironic. The water mage dying in the ocean. A cynical laugh would've escaped if she'd had a mouth. _Gray-sama…this, I regret. The irony of it all._ Juvia felt herself being spread farther and farther apart. She remembered the first time she activated Water Body.

_ She was fifteen and still the dreary Rain Woman of her village. Right after school that day, she'd taken her time on the way home. Aunt Ophelia would be distant as ever that evening, serving that awful pea soup for dinner again. She loved her aunt, she really did, but even Aunt Ophelia couldn't stand to be around Juvia for too long. Why spend time in the dark, damp house when she could be in the old treehouse she'd found on the way home from school years ago? Juvia's feet followed the familiar path to the treehouse and soon it stared back at her. Slightly warped boards gave the house a haggard look, but inside, Juvia knew it was perfect for her. Secluded. Peaceful. Humming to herself, Juvia pulled up her knee high socks and climbed the rope ladder. The inside was decorated with various shades of blue paint in a wave pattern. Comfy quilts were piled in a corner. A shelf to the side held many of Juvia's crafts over the years. Teru-teru bozu dolls hung from the ceiling. Juvia slid her backpack in a corner and collapsed on the blankets, bursting into tears. Today had been just like any other—with the exception of Brandon Meeks._

_ The quirky, funny, handsome blond was the heartthrob of Class C. And Juvia had a teeny, tiny crush on him. He seemed perfect. But as everyone knows, the prettiest diamonds can be sharp. And the diamond shard wedged itself in Juvia's heart as her long-time crush finally said the words that would kill her._

_ "Isn't all this rain dreary? Why doesn't it ever stop?" His face had a look of disgust. And it rained harder. "Damn rain. When I'm 18, I'm moving somewhere warm, where it never rains." After that, Brandon had moved his conversation out of Juvia's hearing range. But it had hurt all day. _

_ Juvia rolled over on the blankets, arms out. She stared at the teru-teru bozu dolls who merely looked back at her. Hot, angry tears rolled down her cheeks; rain pounded the ground outside. She wanted to rip them all off the ceiling; what good did they do? One sob later, Juvia sank into the blankets. She was made of water. The total shock turned the storm into a light drizzle. She could turn into water. And the blankets were soaked. Panicking slightly, she was relieved to find that she could turn back into a solid without any harm. _

She felt colder now. The ocean water stung like ice in her liquid state. _Ouch. _It was like hundreds of needles. Juvia stilled her thoughts. There wasn't a safe way to pull herself back together in liquid form unless someone purified the water, tracked her magical signature, and scooped her up into a container. She wanted to cry. The water mage of Fairy Tail reduced to ocean water in a mere five minutes. _And not even a chance to say goodbye, _Juvia thought.

_Don't cry._ The water around Juvia got slightly warmer. It was like a hug. _Don't you dare cry, Juvia Lockser. _

_Why? My nakama is fighting a battle without me and there's nothing I can do! _Juvia's tone grew angry.

_That's why you have to remain calm,_ the "voice" said. It was a woman's voice, slightly deep and full of control. _You can do this._

Juvia was silent. While she was fairly sure this wasn't her imagination, she couldn't be absolutely sure. _Who are you?_

It felt like the owner of the voice was smiling, a small smile. _I'm Ur._

An inkling of familiarity trickled down her back. _Well, Ur, I need to get back to the battle. Gray-sama is fighting alone against my enemy. I have to get back to Fairy Tail._

Juvia couldn't feel the woman's surprise and tender feelings for Gray, but the ocean knew. It felt how Ur grew fonder of Juvia and became even more determined to help her. It gathered as much of Juvia as it could, forming a slight distortion in the water where Juvia's Water Body was collected.

_It seems like most of you is in the same place. Try to change back now, _Ur prodded.

Juvia nodded mentally and collected her thoughts. She remembered the smooth feeling of skin, the warmth of blood pumping during battle, the way the sun felt on her face. How she felt whenever she was at Fairy Tail. Her body felt heavy and Juvia opened her eyes. She could see. She could feel. And the water was cold. Juvia sent a mental thank-you to Ur, her bond with the ocean broken the moment she became solid. Juvia swam for the surface, breaking the water with a glorious breath. Thanks to Ur, Juvia was back with her Gray-sama. "Gray-sama!"

She reached the edge of the beach where Gray was spread out on the sand. Blood trickled from minor injuries. Juvia whirled to face her attacker, releasing hot jets of water. The ocean roared beside her. Time to finish this. With a roar of rage, Juvia enclosed the enemy in her famous Water Lock, filling it with salty ocean water.

"Juvia is no longer a Phantom mage. She is a proud mage of Fairy Tail. Can you not see the mark on Juvia's leg?" She gestured to the blue mark displayed proudly on her. "You hurt Juvia's nakama, her Gray-sama. You payed, are paying, and will pay." Behind her, Gray straggled to his feet. With one look, the duo performed a Unison Raid, hands entertwined.

When it all ended, Juvia faced the ocean. She was unsure as to whether or not she'd tell Gray about the presence in the ocean. Juvia decided to save it for another day; it would stay as her secret for now. _Thank you, Ur. I will take care of Gray-sama for now, until the day when you two meet again. _Hands entwined, the two Fairy Tail mages strolled along the beach, warm waves tickling their ankles.

**And that's a wrap! There are a few things I'll address here.**

**I wrote Juvia's thoughts in first person. I believe that third person only applies to when she speaks **_**out loud. **_**The communication with Ur was purely mental.**

**As I know very little of Juvia's backstory, I filled in with what I thought was appropriate. Does anyone know what reference I made?**

**Finally, thank you so much for reading my first Gruvia fanfic.**

**-BookProf101**


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